“We will make noise.” This was how Frédéric Vasseur commented last summer on Ferrari’s recruitment campaign to strengthen the technical department after a disappointing start to the season (even today, the situation does not appear very different from 12 months ago…) which had dropped the Scuderia to fourth place among constructors. Since then, the promises made by the Frenchman have been kept, as the signing of Lewis Hamilton for 2025 and the renewal of Charles Leclerc were announced earlier this year. With the driver situation settled, the general manager of the Racing Department focused on the technical department, initiating a restructuring of the organization based on his vision of the team.
Following the additions of junior figures from Red Bull and other teams at the end of 2023, the technical staff, currently led by Fred Vasseur himself in an interim role after Enrico Cardile’s move to Aston Martin, has been strengthened, as announced in recent months, by two “top guys” from Mercedes: Loic Serra and Jerome D’Ambrosio. Serra will be responsible for chassis performance engineering and will report to the soon-to-be-named technical director, while D’Ambrosio will assist the team principal.
These additions do not seem to be the end, as after Enrico Cardile’s departure (and others that might come in the summer), Ferrari is seeking new stability by bringing in new professionals to strengthen the staff in weak areas (such as Cedric Sambardier, the new head of composites) and securing key figures for the project. This turnover is happening at the most delicate moment of the season for Ferrari, facing a significant halt in its early-year growth, almost lost and unable to address the problems of a car that has shown bouncing issues again since the developments introduced at the Spanish GP, as well as difficulties in managing tires and providing the necessary confidence to the drivers.
This complicated moment was commented on by Leo Turrini in his blog “Profondo Rosso.” In addition to highlighting the aforementioned issues, he reflected on the possible consequences this turnover could have on 2025, given that next year’s car is already in an advanced state of development.
“Fred Vasseur has every right to shape the team as he wants. That’s clear: because if things go wrong, he takes the blame. It’s also understandable that there’s a lively atmosphere within the racing department (euphemism). That said, the updates on the SF24 in recent races have made us cry. […] It’s also essential to consider the impact of Cardile’s departure on the racing department. […] The current developments were coordinated by him, and of course, the 2025 car is already in an advanced stage of development.”
Ferrari is downplaying this turnover, but typically, it does little good for a team, especially due to the lack of clarity in roles (and the succession of a key figure like the technical director) that seems to reign within the Racing Department.
“It’s bizarre to reduce this moment at Ferrari to a ‘normal turnover.’ […] There’s nothing normal about it, let’s not kid ourselves. I insist: Vasseur has the right to make his choices. […] A shift from Sainz to Hamilton is understandable to everyone, even those who disagree with it. Not having a technical director mid-season, waiting for Mister X, instead fuels legitimate doubts.”
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